Sudan Pastor Faces Death Penalty

International Christian Concern (ICC), a human rights group, reports that Pastor Hassan Abduraheem Taour has been transferred to the attorney general’s office, and that a sentence is expected soon.

"But the charges that are likely to come down on Mr. Taour, three of which carry the possibility of the death penalty,” stated Troy Augustine, regional manager for ICC in Africa.

Augustine went on to say that ICC is doing all they can to get Pastor Taour released.

"We're working on different advocacy efforts to bring this issue to the fore and say that this pastor's incarceration is unjust, and for him to face charges that seem to be trumped up is unjust," he said.

Taour’s arrest is part of Sudan’s crackdown on church leaders which began last December. There is hope for his, release, however. Another pastor who was arrested around the same time as Taour was recently released.

Augustine adds that, in the past, Sudan has responded positively to international pressure on such issues.